CubeSat-based Science Missions for Space Weather and Atmospheric Research

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Solicitation  09-523

As announced on May 21st, proposers must prepare and submit proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) using the NSF FastLane system at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. This approach is being taken to support efficient Grants.gov operations during this busy workload period and in response to OMB direction guidance issued March 9, 2009. NSF will continue to post information about available funding opportunities to Grants.gov FIND and will continue to collaborate with institutions who have invested in system-to-system submission functionality as their preferred proposal submission method. NSF remains committed to the long-standing goal of streamlined grants processing and plans to provide a web services interface for those institutions that want to use their existing grants management systems to directly submit proposals to NSF.

Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  March 10, 2010

March 10, Annually Thereafter

SYNOPSIS

Lack of essential observations from space is currently a major limiting factor in space weather research. Recent advances in sensor and spacecraft technolo­gies make it feasible to obtain key measurements from low-cost, small satellite missions. A particularly promising aspect of this development is the prospect for obtaining multi-point observations in space that are critical for addressing many outstanding problems in space science.  Space-based measurements from small satellites also have great potential to advance discovery and understanding in other areas of atmospheric sciences.  To take full advantage of these developments, NSF is soliciting research proposals  centered on small satellite missions.

The overarching goal of the program is to support the development, construction, launch, operation, and data analysis of small satellite science missions to advance space weather and atmospheric research. Equally important, it will provide essential opportunities to train the next generation of experimental space scientists and aerospace engineers.

To facilitate launch of the satellites as secondary payloads on existing missions, the focus of the program is on CubeSat-based satellites. Launch of the satellites will be through the standardized CubeSat deployment system, the Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD).  Launch of the P-PODS will be as auxiliary payloads on DOD, NASA, or commercial launches.  This will be arranged directly by NSF and is not part of this solicitation.  Beginning in 2009, NSF expects to launch two to three P-PODs every year, accommodating at least as many (two to six) individual satellite missions.  This solicitation covers proposals for science missions to include satellite development, construction, testing and operation as well as data distribution and scientific analysis.

RELATED URLS

NSF Cubesat Program Additional Information

The cubesat program web-site

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF

Upper Atmosphere Research Section

Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program